Royal Profile: King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden was born on 30 April 1946 as the only son of Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf and Princess Sidylla{Source}. The young prince has four older sisters{Source}:
  1. Princess Margaretha
    1. John Kenneth Ambler (1924-2008,1964-separated 2006)
      1. Sybilla Louise Ambler, Baroness von Dincklage (1965)
        1. Baron Henning von Dincklage (1971, m.1998)
          1. Madeleine Charlotte Freiin von Dincklage (1999)
          2. Sebastian Eric Henning Freiherr von Dincklage (2000)
      2. Charles Edward Ambler (1966)
        1. Helen Jane Ross (1969, m.1999)
          1. Sienna Rose Ambler(2000)
          2. India Tani Ambler (2003)
      3. James Patrick Ambler (1967)
        1. Ursula Mary Shipley (1965, m. 2001)
        2. Lily Elektra Ambler (2003)
        3. Oscar Rufus Ambler (2004)
  2. Princess Birgitta
    1. Baron Carl Otto Edmund Silfverschiöld (1965) 
      1. Gunilla Maria Fredriksson (1965, m. 2005)
      2. Anna Margareta Sybilla Desiree Silfverschiold
    2. Baroness Kristina-Louisa Ewa Madeleine Silfverschiöld (1966)
      1. Baron Hansde Geer af Finspång (1963, m. 1999)
        1. Estelle Louise Désirée Gerard, Friherinna de Greer af Finspäng (2000)
        2. Ian Carl Gerard, Friherre de Greer af Finspäng (2002)
        3. Fred Louis Gerard, Friherre de Greer af Finspäng (2004)
    3. Baroness Hélène Ingeborg Sibylla Silfverschiöld (1968)
  3. Princess Désirée 
    1. Baron Nils-August Otto Carl Niclas Silfverschiöld (1934, m. 1964)
  4. Princess Christina 
    1. Tord Gösta Magnuson (1941, m. 1974)
      1. Carl Gustaf Victor Magnuson (1975)
      2.  Tord Oscar Frederik Magnuson (1977)


The young prince was christened on 7 June 1946, with the name Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus{Source}.  When he was barely 9 months of age, his father died in a plane crash, leaving him to be heir to the throne of Sweden after his grandfather took the throne in 1950 {Source}.

A year after his mother's death in 1972, Crown Prince Carl Gustaf would become the King of Sweden following the death of King Gustaf VI Adolf {Source}. The new Swedish King took “For Sweden - With the times" as his motto, thereby declaring his intention of meeting the demands of society on a modern monarch{Source}.


He began his educational pursuits at the Royal Palace of Stockholm, before attending Broms School in 1952, followed by the Sigtuna Boarding School, where he graduated from upper secondary school in 1966{Source}. After completing his intial eduation, he began to serve in the military, where he trained in the Army, Navy and Air Force for two and a half years{Source}. The young Crown Prince also took part in a long voyage on the mine-laying vessel Älvsnabben during the winter of 1966-1967{Source}. The Crown Prince passed his Naval Officer examinations in 1968{Source}. He later completed a command course at the Swedish National Defense Colelge, and complemented his naval officer training with officer's duties aboard various Swedish Naval ships{Source}. After serving on the Älvsnabben in the winter of 1966-1967, the young Crown Prince began his academic carrer with a one year program comprising in History, Sociology, Political Science, Frinancial Law and Economics at the University of Uppsala, and would continue his educational endeavors at the University of Stolkhom, studying Economics {Source}. He also spent time in a special program for him, studying the Swedish judicial system, social welfare organisations and institutions, trade unions and employer associations, with a special emphasis on the work of the Riksdag (the Swedish Parliament), the Government and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and spent time visiting national and local authorities, as well as industries, factories, laboratories, and schools{Source}. In order to get international experience, Crown Prince Carl Gustaf participated in work of the Permanent Mission of Sweden to the United Nations in New York and spent time working with SIDA (the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency) in Africa, as well as working with banks and the Swedish embassy and Chamber of Commerce in London, and at Alfa Laval plant in France {Source}. The Crown Prince also undertook several major royal duties abroad during this time, most notably heading the Swedish delegation for the World Expostion in Japan in 1970{Source}.

During the Olympic Games in Munich, Germany in 1972, The Crown Prince met Miss Silvia Renate Sommerlath, who was working as an interperter and hostess{Source}. They began dating shortly there after, and were engaged on 12 March 1976{Source}. Three months later, their wedding took place on 19 June 1976 in Sweden{Source}. Together, they have three children, two sons-in-laws, a soon to be daughter-in-law, three granddaughters, and four grandsons{Source}:

  1. Crown Princess Victoria (1977)
    1. Prince Daniel (who was born on his wedding day, in 1976)
      1. Princess Estelle (2012)
      2. Prince Oscar (2014)
  2. Prince Carl Philip (1979)
    1. Princess Sofia (1984, m. 2015)
      1. Prince Alexander of Sweden (2016)
      2. Prince Gabriel of Sweden (2017)
  3. Princess Madeleine (1981)
    1. Mr. Christopher O'Neil
      1. Princess Leonore Lilian Maria (2014)
      2. Prince Nicholas of Sweden (2015)
      3. Princess Adrienne of Sweden (2018)

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